Featuring new paintings fresh from the easel, exhibition news and other stuff from Peter Barker RSMA

Sunday, 17 March 2013

Sunset by the Welland

Oil on Board, 12 x 17 inches SOLD

This scene is again near Duddington, where my favourite stretch of river, the Welland, winds its way through Rutland. It involved a long trudge through quite thick snow to find this naturally good composition, with some farm barns and their snow-covered roofs set below the setting sun.

To depict snow in the evening, really close attention must be paid to the tones of the respective parts of the painting. We all know snow is white, and in daylight hours, often nearly as bright as the sky and sometimes even brighter. But when the sun is going down, the landscape is no longer receiving the light from above, so the snow takes on a much darker hue. If you squint (a great trick for every artist to employ when painting) you can see how much darker the barn roofs and snow are compared to the brightest part of the painting - the sun itself.

The sky reflections in the water are also a slightly darker tone than the sky, aside from the few lines of sparkle put on with the edge of a palette knife. This can be observed by turning your screen upside down, or standing on your head of course, but don't try this at home...elf an safety an all that.